Belfast balance overpowers Eagles Surging Lions notch 11th win

BELFAST – In the weeks since the Belfast boys basketball team have realized that not everything had to go through 6-foot-10 center Chad Kosmo, things have started clicking for the Lions.

Kosmo scored 20 points and grabbed 15 rebounds Thursday night against Lincoln Academy of Newcastle, but the Lions got a balanced scoring effort and hit some outside shots to keep the Eagles off-balance as they registered a 61-52 win at the high school gym.

The Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference showdown featured two teams with identical 10-3 records headed into the game. The Lions emerged with an 11-3 mark, while Lincoln Academy falls to 10-4.

Belfast has now won seven games in a row and 10 of its last 11. That run coincides with an effort to include more players in the offense.

“Chad gets so much attention because of his size and ability and early in the year it hurt us and we started out 1-2,” Lions coach Butch Richards said. “Everyone else was looking for him on our team and the last few weeks other kids have gotten involved offensively, gotten more confident, and don’t force the ball to Chad as much.”

The Eagles double-and triple-teamed the senior, and in turn Kosmo went to the free-throw line 16 times. With the defenders on Kosmo, Colby Horne was freed up to score 16 points.

“We have enough big bodies out there to not have him dominate us,” LA coach Chuck Wyman said. “What beat us tonight was the other 10 players who were out there.”

Belfast had a 13-12 lead when Horne hit a 3-pointer to open the second quarter and give the Lions some breathing room. Shawn Wyman made a basket for Lincoln Academy but Horne scored off a fast-break layup, Kosmo put back a missed shot and, after an Eagle free throw, Sam Hayes made another 3-pointer for a 23-15 lead.

After another Lincoln Academy free throw Ben Cowan connected on a 3-pointer and Neil Pendleton hit a jumper to help the Lions take a 28-16 lead. The Eagles tried to battle back but Belfast had a 10-point lead at halftime.

“Earlier in the year we couldn’t shoot [3-pointers] and now we’re having games where we have six, five,” Richards said. “Shooting is all confidence once the mechanics are there and our kids are pretty confident right now.”

Lincoln Academy got within five points near the end of the third quarter as David Osier made two straight jump shots and Shawn Wyman made a free throw, but Pendleton and Cowan both converted 1-and-1 free throws to stave off the Eagles.

Kosmo scored 10 points in the fourth quarter, which came mostly on 6-for-12 shooting from the free-throw line.

Belfast held Eagle standout Matt Budrow to 10 points (he has been averaging 16.5 points per game this season). Shawn Wyman led LA with 14 points.

“Our man-to-man defense is our trademark so we just stuck to that,” Horne said. “Sam played good on [Budrow], Kevin [Herbig] played good on him and it just shut him down. I think they got into his head and he was throwing up wild shots. That’s what we do.”